Hilda

The Eastern Woods - Late Autumn

Bustling crowds still filled the marketplace, despite the creeping cold that announced the approach of winter. Hilda insisted to keep her firm hold on Mikal's arm, despite his countless attempts to make her understand that he did not need her assistance.

"Can you please let go of me? I can walk on my own."

"Yes, I am certain you can walk on your own. But no, I am not letting go of you," she persisted. "It's very crowded and I won't risk you straying from my sight."

Mikal argued no more, apparently aware that he could do nothing but remain quiet and comply. After all, he probably wouldn't want to cause a scene or grab any unnecessary attention. As if they were not grabbing enough attention already.

Hilda could sense all eyes upon her and Mikal, watching them curiously. It was not the first time she had taken Mikal to the market, and yet every time the forest dwellers had to stare. But she didn't blame them, because, what kind of healer adopted a homeless blind man and turned him into her assistant?

Not to mention that Mikal himself was quite the remarkable sight, with his striking silver hair and the black blindfold around his eyes. And despite his lack of vision, he held his head high with pride, walking with the unfaltering grace and elegance of a fine noble with perfect eyesight.

The shouts and calls of merchants reverberated through the market, chasing after the passing customers. The whiff of sweet berries reached them from the fruit stalls, mixed with the aroma of spices and incense coming from the opposite side.

"Good day Cassandra!" a familiar voice called out, and Hilda turned around to find Abel, the fruit merchant, waving at her earnestly.

"Good day to you Abel!" Hilda waved back.

"You came just in time. Here Ander, try these." Abel quickly packed a bundle of wild cherries and handed them over to Mikal. "Just picked them up this morning!"

"Cassandra!" A loud voice interrupted them before Hilda got a chance to thank Abel, and as she turned around she found herself facing Agneta, a noisy and nosy woman with dark curls and red cheeks.

"Cassandra, there you are!" Agneta quacked. "I haven't seen you for a while! What have you been up to? Any new mishaps with your patients? Last thing I heard was Eli breaking his bones after flying his way into a series of trees, and having you fix them with a healing spell. His bones I mean, not the trees. And Rhyna was just telling me the other day how Meg keeps nagging you to make her a potion that cures wrinkles! I never knew that wrinkles have a cure!"

"They don't have a cure Agneta," Hilda said, before she held Mikal's hand and took a sneaky step backwards. She knew if she gave Agneta a chance to start her gossip they might remain here until nightfall.

"Oh and Ander, you look rather... blooming!" Agneta exclaimed as she eyed Mikal from head to toe. "You have no idea how fortunate you are to have Cassandra as your healer. She is the best in the woods! Oh Cassandra dear, you definitely never run out of... quite challenging patients."

"Ander is not my patient Agneta, he's my assistant."

"I really can't imagine how he can be your assistant, with his... well...his ailment."

With the bandage covering his eyes, Hilda could not see Mikal's expression, but from the tension in his jaw, she could tell that he was not quite impressed with Agneta's remark.

"Thank you for your concern Agneta, but Ander happens to do just fine regardless of his ailment." Hilda smiled coldly, taking another step backwards.

"But you're surely going to find a cure for his eyes, right?" Agneta persisted.

"That is a very far-fetched possibility at the moment," Hilda responded curtly before she started walking away, pulling Mikal along with her.

"Well nothing seems impossible to you!" Agneta's voice followed them, apparently not willing to leave them be. "I am sure you will figure out something."

"I do appreciate your trust, Agneta," Hilda called over her shoulder as she increased her pace. "Anyway I will catch you later."

"Sure! We need to sit for tea sometime, I have loads of news to tell you too," Agneta shouted over as Hilda grew the distance between them.

"What a painful woman," Hilda grumbled when they were well out of Agneta's reach. She could tell that Mikal agreed, even if he refrained from voicing his opinion. After all, she was aware of how unsettled he already was by the mere fact that she had taken him out to the market, parading him around before the curious stares of strangers. Not to mention having his disability pointed out by that meddlesome woman. Of course, Mikal's lack of sight was not something he felt particularly confident about.

"Are you alright?" she asked, tightening her hold on his forearm. He neither nodded nor shook his head, but only remained silent for a long moment, as if contemplating something.

"You said it is far-fetched, but it is not impossible?" he finally asked, and Hilda could sense his increasing tension. "To bring back my eyesight?"

It was Hilda's turn to tense this time, taken by surprise at Mikal's question, to which she had absolutely no answer. Of course she would be more than happy to find a cure for his eyes, if such a thing ever existed. But there was nothing she had heard of that can bring back eyesight. And even if there were, implementing it would mean he would finally discover her identity...

"I don't know Ander." She sighed. "But such a thing is completely unheard of. I believe it's better to think it's impossible." Hilda noticed his shoulders slumping in disappointment, which sent a twinge of guilt to her heart.

They wormed their way through the crowds, and the clanking sounds ahead told her she was close to her destination. Heat and smoke welcomed them as they reached the blacksmith's stall.

"Is my sword ready?" Hilda smiled despite the grim expression of the unfriendly blacksmith. Without an answer, the man simply turned to fetch one of the long blades lying on the table behind him and handed it over to her. She raised the sword and squinted, inspecting the sharpness of its blade.

"Well done," she said, but the blacksmith's expression did not change. Of course, he needed her silver, not her praise, and so she handed him his coin before she grabbed Mikal's hand and walked away.

"Why did you ask the blacksmith to sharpen your sword?" Mikal asked as they started walking through the woods, finally heading back to the cottage. "Are we going to need it for the journey?" His voice shook with a hint of insecurity. Hilda knew that Mikal was not very fond of her plan to take him hunting Dragonia with her the next day, and she could tell he was growing more nervous as the evening grew closer.

"No Andy, I don't think we're going to need my sword for the journey, or I rather hope that we don't, but I must have it ready just in case."

"Do you even know how to use a sword?"

"Oh no, I will only carry it for effect," she teased. "If we meet any bandits then I will simply raise it in the air and they will all scramble around and flee."

Mikal snorted in response, apparently not amused. The market bustle faded further behind them, replaced by the clicking of twigs and the rustling of leaves as they hiked deeper into the woods.

"I really don't get why you need to take me with you tomorrow," he complained, still fretting over their coming trip. "Couldn't you just take Hanya instead?"

"And who will serve you when I take Hanya and leave you alone in the cottage?"

"Then leave us both and go by yourself!"

"How gallant of you!" She gasped in mock surprise.

"It's not my fault you're leaving aside all the surrounding woods and choosing to travel for days instead, all the way to the top of the mountains, to hunt for a rare and hidden plant that is probably more deadly than useful! What kind of plant is named Dragonium anyway?"

"It's Dragonia," Hilda chuckled, "And I assure you it is more useful than deadly. The venom of Dragonia can have extraordinary healing powers if extracted and mixed correctly. And being rare as it is means I can make rare potions, which in turn means more silver."

"More silver and less limbs! What if we get attacked by wild animals out there?"

"Then you're lucky I sharpened my sword."

"What if we get attacked by wolves in our sleep?"

"We'll keep a fire lit so no wolves will approach us."

"You do have an answer to everything, don't you?" Mikal scoffed.

"Of course I do!" She laughed before she reached out to hold his hand in reassurance. "Don't worry Andy, everything will be alright."

***

They set out before dawn, faint Angel Light guiding them through enveloping darkness. They hiked their way up the mountains, maneuvering the dense woods, until the morning sun reached in between the intertwining branches and leaves.

If Hilda were alone, she would have flown above the trees, but she didn't want to push Mikal too far right away. Of course they would need to fly eventually, and she would make him fly, but not yet. She still had one more place to go, before they ventured out on their journey...

The day had barely just begun, yet the forest had grown suddenly dark. Mist floated between the thick trees, and eerie noises surrounded them. Hilda could notice how stiff Mikal had grown, his knuckles white as he tightly grasped his cane.

"Relax Andy, there is nothing to worry about here."

"I am not worried," he argued, to which she wanted to scoff. He might not be able to see how terrified he looked, but she definitely could.

"We're almost there." She smiled as she finally spotted the black walls of a tall stone house, covered in thick vines. Smoke poured out from the windows, and the reflection of green flames glowed inside.

The hiss of flames and boiling cauldrons greeted them as they entered the witch's cottage, burning fumes assaulting their chests. A raven cawed, to which Dia cried back in response.

There was no sign of the witch at first glance, but as Hilda squinted through the green glow, she could finally spot the dark figure stooping over the table, hiding behind piles of books and flasks and bones. All dressed in black, along with her long black hair and black veil, she merged perfectly with her dark surroundings.

Hilda barely approached the mysterious woman, who suddenly shot upright and met her eyes with a haunting black stare. Even Hilda who never feared any creature in this world, couldn't help a fleeting shudder beneath the witch's gaze.

"Good day Grand Healer." Hilda smiled nervously, to which the witch only responded with a long sniff through the air and a curious frown.

The witch closed her eyes and sniffed around a few more times, apparently catching some strange scent.

"You brought Aurora's boy," an ancient voice spoke, and the witch finally stepped forward, ignoring Hilda and standing right before Mikal.

Hilda held her breath and eyed Mikal with caution. He stood perfectly still, yet she could tell he was literally petrified. The witch drew her face towards Mikal's neck, and took another deep sniff.

"Definitely Aurora's boy. The other one though..."

"I am not Aurora's boy. You must be confusing me with someone else!" Mikal said, his voice so strained that Hilda wondered how he managed to speak at all.

The witch laughed out in response, an eerie cackle that sent shivers down Hilda's spine. She waved dismissively before she returned to her table, the hint of a knowing smirk still drawn on her sinister face.

Hilda quickly held Mikal's hand to reassure him, only to find him flinching away from her.

"What's going on Cassandra? Why did you bring me here?" he asked, and she could clearly see the deep mistrust in his expression despite the blindfold covering his eyes.

"I told you we are here to borrow a few things for the journey and will be gone soon," Hilda explained. "Trust me there is nothing to worry ab–"

"The winds are in your favor," the witch interrupted as she now bent over a glass orb, staring into the gold glow within. "The Dragons are plenty and waiting."

"Thank you, Grand Healer." Hilda smiled before she hurried to gather a couple of books and a few maps.

The sun shone between the trees once more when they finally left behind the witch's den. That was quite close... Hilda thought as she eyed Mikal walking by her side, solemnly following the guidance of his cane and Dia's caws. She had not expected that the Grand Healer would attempt to expose him. Well, she was indeed an ancient witch, an all knowing seer. And Mikal was not exactly a man of little recognition. Even if none of the common forest dwellers had ever heard of his existence before, the Grand Healer of the Eastern Woods definitely had.

But thankfully the witch had not pressed the matter any further, and Hilda too dropped it off as if she didn't even notice. Because Hilda was not yet ready to deal with Mikal Nordstrom...

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